Top News - February -2002 Published February 18, 2002 Going for the gold Dene curler Ken Tralnberg shows off his Team Canada jersey before heading off to Salt Lake City, where he is competing in the 2002 Winter Olympics as part of the national men's curling team. See Story.... Photo Brad Crowfoot Job fair helps link employers and job seekers SIFC, universities, join to develop health centre Dene curler competes on men's Olympic team This is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the February 2002 issue of Saskatchewan Sage. If you are not receiving your own copy of Sage, then you have missed out on a lot. Job fair helps link employers and job seekers Ross Kimble, Sage Writer, Saskatoon The participants, attendees and organizers of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Corporate Circle Job Fair were expressing their satisfaction long before the Feb. 7 event even ended. Little wonder, considering that even as the fair's spokespeople were presenting their appreciative speeches in the spacious lower level of Saskatoon's Centennial Auditorium, hundreds of job seekers were milling about the room interacting with prospective employers from dozens of Saskatchewan's biggest organizations. "This is our second Corporate Job Fair, and each is better than the last," said Mark Olson of Rawlco Radio, one of the major sponsors of the yearly event. "This is a meaningful effort than has a meaningful result on employment. Over 90 jobs were created as a direct result of last year's fair." "I'm really pleased and honoured to be here tonight," said Saskatoon Mayor Jim Maddin, on hand to show his support for the event and for Aboriginal employment initiatives in general. "This event allows over 1,000 students to connect with potential employers. With the changing demographics of the city and the province, getting more First Nations and Aboriginal people in the workforce is very important." "The fact that so few First Nations and Aboriginal people are in the workforce, it's not representative of the population. It needs to change," noted FSIN Vice-Chief Greg Ahenakew. "It's so very important that we begin to create better socio-economic conditions for our people. The idea of the job fair is to be proactive, to bring employers and our people together." Such a union is obviously beneficial and welcomed by all. At booth after booth, corporate representatives expressed similar sentiments on the attractiveness and worth of the First Nations workforce - regardless of one's race, regardless of one's heritage, regardless of one's beliefs, a good employee is good employee. "Look at the talent we have in this room, and in this province," said Lyle Daniels of the FSIN, who acted as the master of ceremonies for the event. "Take that first step, make contact with employers," urged FSIN Corporate Circle executive director Robert Merasty of all Aboriginal job seekers. Michael Paquette of Saskatoon was but one of many attendees taking that first step, though as a job seeker his thoughts were not on broad issues of First Nations development, but rather on more practical and personal matters. "I'm just looking for an employer that will give me a chance," said Paquette, "and hopefully for a career that I can stay at and enjoy for years to come." Designed first and foremost for the job seekers themselves, this year's fair offered participants a number of workshops in addition to the opportunity to interact with business leaders. The workshops provided information on entrepreneurship, the changing labour market, and skills development. The job fair is a partnership effort hosted by the FSIN Corporate Circle, Saskatoon Tribal Council Urban First Nation Services, Saskatoon Aboriginal Employment & Opportunities Inc., Saskatchewan Regional Economic Development Association and University of Saskatchewan. Rawlco Radio, SaskTel, Indian & Northern Affairs Canada and the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority are also instrumental in staging the event through their roles as sponsors. Top SIFC, universities, join to develop health centre The Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (SIFC) is partnering with the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina to develop a centre to do research related to Indigenous health issues, as well as to increase health-related research and training opportunities for Aboriginal people. The Indigenous Peoples' Health Research Centre (IPHRC) in Saskatchewan is one of four across the country to be funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), through the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health. The funds - a $3 million grant spread over six years - will be used to develop the centre, which will operate out of both university campuses. The centre will work to support and encourage community-generated Indigenous research relating to chronic diseases, nutrition and lifestyle, Indigenous healing, health delivery and control, and prevention and environmental health. "The SIFC is honored to lead in the development of a provincial research centre dedicated to research on Indigenous health," SIFC president Dr. Eber Hampton said at the news conference held to announce plans for the health centre. "The SIFC's mission is to enhance the quality of life of Indian people by expanding the base of knowledge in the best interests of Indian people and of society. We are committed to working with all of our partners to improve Indigenous People's health in Saskatchewan." Top Dene curler competes on men's Olympic team Paul Barnsley, Sage Writer, Edmonton As Ken Tralnberg showed off his new uniform top with the big red maple leaf on the back and his name spelled out across the shoulders, he just couldn't stop himself from breaking into a huge grin. The veteran of more than 20 years of top-level competitive curling is a member of the team representing Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Even though his Edmonton-based Kevin Martin rink clinched the right to represent their country back on Dec. 10 in a qualifying bonspiel in Regina, Tralnberg admitted on Jan. 28 that the enormity of that had yet to fully sink in. "I've dreamt of this all my life," he said. "It's amazing that this is happening to me at age 45." The former resident of the Lac La Ronge First Nation was selected to be the alternate or fifth member of the Martin rink just before the team's big push to earn the Olympic spot began in May, 2001. Since Canada is considered a world power in the sport, the five-man rink had to knock off some pretty tough competitors along the way to get the Olympic nod, coming from behind to defeat Winnipeg's Kerry Burtnyk 8-7 in a last rock win in the Olympic trials final. They join Kelley Law's women's squad from New Westminster, B.C. to form the Canadian Olympic curling team. The son of Don and Marie Tralnberg of Prince Albert, a Bill C-31 father and non-status mother, is proud of his Dene heritage. He lived in the remote community of Fond du Lac on the shores of Lake Athabasca in northern Saskatchewan until he was eight years of age, when his family moved to La Ronge. He started curling in his early teens and also excelled at basketball and long distance running. "I was the La Ronge jock at Churchill high school. In fact, one of my friends said, as we were graduating and predicting where we'd be years from now, he predicted I'd be in the Olympics and now it's happening," he said. After a frustrating career of near misses at the top level of his sport, a career Tralnberg himself described as one of "multiple disappointments," he finally found himself in the right place at the right time when his skip made that last shot in Regina. He said it's hard to decide who is more excited about the trip to Salt Lake City, himself or his family and friends. "It's a little bit numbing for those of us who are going. But it was really fun watching them approach me after we won, seeing the look on their faces. I think they were more excited than I was but I don't think they would have felt as bad as me if we'd lost," he said. Tralnberg said it was a huge honor to be selected by the Martin rink, which had many top-level curlers to choose from. He believes it was his reputation for performing under pressure that probably gave him the edge. "I don't feel the pressure. I just want to perform," he said. "The higher the pressure, the better." The resident of the Edmonton suburb of St. Albert is employed as a children's advocate by the provincial government. He said he's the only person in Canada to do that job in two provinces; he helped set up the programs in Saskatchewan and Alberta. His wife, Teri, and their three daughters, Jaymie, 23, Keri, 13, and Brynn, 12, as well as friends and family all over western Canada, will be watching as Canada goes for its first gold medal in curling. Despite its traditional dominance in world curling, Canada has yet to win gold. A loss to Switzerland in the finals in 1998, the first Olympics where curling was a medal sport, has Tralnberg and his teammates hungry for the big prize. "We want to win gold," he said bluntly. "There's no way you can ever guarantee you'll get another kick at the can and this is the pinnacle of all sports." Tralnberg said he can't help but think of the Grade 2 student in Stoney Rapids on the shore of Lake Athabasca and how far it is from that world to the world stage in Salt Lake City. "I remember reading about Dick and Jane and houses with white picket fences and big old oak trees in the front yard and all. We didn't have any of that," he said. "I think about my grandparents and my great-grandparents and I'm incredibly proud to be of Aboriginal descent. I have a major in Native studies in school. I did that out of pride and love for my grandmother, paying respect for her. Now, if kids in places like that can see what's happening to me and realize it could happen to them, that's great. If people know I'm Aboriginal and I can be a positive role model, great."   Top